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Re: my obscene tube & the right thing to do

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: my obscene tube & the right thing to do
From: bernie@central.co.nz (Bernadette Roche)
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 21:51:06 +1200
Hi

> Some of you may know that the tube gets clogged with crud 
>(leaves, tree buds, etc.) at this time of the year, and that space tends to 
>reatin water after rains and washings.  


We have had the same problem (pine needles falling into the vent). Our tube
blocked completely which caused the vent to fill to a level which allowed
water to somehow get into the car, spilling on to the back of the radio
which ruined it. 

We fixed the problem by pushing a wire coat hanger down the hole from the
top of the vent to push the muck out, that was followed by a thicker piece
of wire ('number 8 wire') which allowed the water to drain out more quickly.

To hopefully fix the problem for good, we fashioned a wire mesh grille to
stop most of the crap from getting down the vent in the first place.
 
To do this we removed the chrome grille on the vent. There are small clips
on the underside of the grille which need to be removed first. Be very
careful not to drop them down the vent or you'll end up having to fish for
them (takes ages to get them back out, or you'll end up getting your hand
stuck). Once the grille has been removed take your trusty wire coat hanger
and bend and cut it to a shape that will fit tightly inside the vent (use
the chrome grille as a template for the general shape). Then get hold of a
piece of very fine wire mesh, or similar (the type used on fly and bug
screens on house doors and windows). Cut it to a slightly larger size than
the wire you have shaped (you can use the chrome grille as a template once
again) and then fold the edges around the wire to make it stay on. Once this
is done carefully, push the completed structure back into the vent (tidy
side up) until it fits properly. It should sit on top of the circular metal
parts that stick out inside the vent and be positioned so that the mesh will
catch any leaves, tree buds, etc that may fall in. Once you are happy with
its position inside the vent refit the chrome grille.  There should be just
enough room between the mesh and the chrome grille for your fingers to
replace the retaining clips that hold the grille on. Once completed the mesh
is hardly noticeable.

So far it seems to be working ok. The vaccum cleaner can now be used to
clean out the crap that gets on to the mesh. Only time will tell if this is
a permanent solution.

Have fun


David and Bernie


An idea from:  '1001 Things to do with Wire Coat Hangers'


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